Unima council challenges Polytechnic students’ victory

The council for University of Malawi (Unima) has slated to appeal the high court ruling on the controversial fees in favour of the Polytechnic students.

The Polytechnic is yet to be opened after the students used the courts to stop the Unima council from effecting a new fees structure.

Poly students have another mountain to climb.

But the council is arguing that the new fees structure was effected on all the constituent colleges regardless of the academic calendar.

Unima vice chancellor professor John Saka added that the fees hike idea was to help in improving quality of education for the colleges.

“When you are buying a shirt you go for quality and we want quality education in this country and for this to happen we need contribution from the students.

“We are really wondering why this community of students really want here at Polytechnic because this will make us have a shortfall of K2 billion if they are to pay the old structures where are we going to get that money from,” said Saka.

He added that the council seeks to appeal the ruling and on November 23 the council’s legal team is to take the matter to court.

Students from Polytechnic challenged the Council on the hiked fees structures arguing that they are one year behind other colleges.

The high court in Blantyre agreed with the students and ruled that the council should not introduce the new fees structure at the Polytechnic during the current academic calendar.